Criminal Law

John J McNally & Co have been providing legal representation in the Police Stations, Criminal Courts and Prisons of Northern Ireland for 84 years. The Criminal Department is currently headed by Director, Stephen Atherton, who is assisted by Maeve McNally. Maeve is the daughter of the former principal of the firm and current District Judge, Liam McNally.

We provide the following services to any citizen who comes into contact with the Criminal Justice System:

Legal Aid is available to any individual who is to be interviewed by Police, regardless of their financial means. It is absolutely crucial that anyone suspected of any criminal offence has the benefit of the advice and assistance of a specialised Criminal Defence Solicitor whilst they are in the police station. We at John J. McNally are one of the few firms in Northern Ireland who have dedicated Criminal law practitioners able to provide this essential service on a 24 Hour basis.

Should you receive a Summons or a Charge Sheet to attend any court in the North, we will provide you with an initial, no obligation, consultation entirely free of charge. Our geographical location in the heart of Northern Ireland, coupled with our dedicated team of specialist Criminal Defence Solicitors, enables our office to provide the highest standards of advocacy in every court in the jurisdiction.

Legal Aid may be available to fund representation within any of the above courts, dependant on financial means.

This is achieved through representations to the appropriate Governor, by facilitating complaints to the Office of the Prisoner Ombudsman and, if necessary, by means of Judicial Review to the High Court. Our firm also has long standing experience of representing prisoners in hearings before the Parole Commissioners.

In recent years, we at John J. McNally & Co have led the way in protecting the privacy and right to life of several high profile prisoners in situations where their personal safety has been compromised by the actions of the tabloid press. The successful rehabilitation and integration of prisoners back into society has come under threat recently with a number of prisoners being targeted and harassed by certain publications. We have been at the forefront of successful challenges within the High Court in circumstances where the tabloid press have sought to publish photographs of prisoners who are on the cusp of release, thereby endangering the safety of the prisoner and undermining the considerable efforts of various agencies towards rehabilitate.